Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle

Frommer's Review

Skibo Castle is as massive a baronial house as you're likely to find in Scotland, an Edwardian pile created from a unique combination of Scottish heritage and one of the most potent fortunes of the Industrial Revolution. Steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, who emigrated from Scotland's textile mills to America in the mid-19th century, yearned for a return to the land of his birth after he acquired his fortune. In 1898, after he bought the historic but dilapidated Skibo, 8km (5 miles) east of Dornoch, Carnegie and his second wife, Louise, massively enlarged the place, pouring £2 million ($3.8 million) into its refurbishment. Here they welcomed a stream of distinguished visitors, including Edward VII, during the months they spent in Scotland in their final years.

In 1990, Peter de Savary, the force behind posh semiprivate clubs in London and Antigua, acquired the property and its 2,835 hectares (7,000 acres), installed an 18-hole golf course designed by Donald Steel, and created a resort that's a combination golf mecca and semiprivate club for the celebs, CEOs, and aristocrats who can afford the sky-high rates. You may visit only once as a guest, then you must be a guest of a member. Meals are served at a long table in the style of an Edwardian house party. Evenings of Scottish dance are featured every Saturday; other nights, there are dinner performances of Scottish flute, Celtic harp, or piano. Sports opportunities include trap and skeet shooting, falconry, trout and salmon fishing, and golf (on the resort's course or at the nearby Royal Dornoch Course). Note: All rooms at Skibo are now nonsmoking.

Facilities:
Restaurant (guests only); indoor pool; golf course; tennis court; spa; children's activities; room service (7am-10:30pm); babysitting

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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